A Job for a Wraith

Soft rain pitter-pattered on the oak shingles of a cobblestone house. Swirling designs, primarily flowers and vines, were etched into the glossy walnut columns holding up the roof of its wrap-around porch. On the porch was a well-crafted loveseat and chair with a small matching table. All of this must have cost a fortune.

The house itself was surrounded by lush gardens, obviously tended with the utmost care, but if not for the glowing magical orbs emitting blue light from the garden pathways, they would have been shrouded in the darkness of the night.

A chill and humid breeze lifted the scent of honeysuckle from the garden into the air, curling around Nora's nose. The pleasant smell caused a small smile to tug at the corners of her usually down-turned lips, but it did not last long. Keen eyes snapped to a third-story window.

An orange glow flickered in the window as a burly shadow passed and then stilled. Watching, the shadow then sat and lifted a book. Nora's jaw clenched as she drew her body closer to the house's front-outer wall, very near the carved columns of the front porch. Lord Taegun should not still be awake at this hour of the night. Perhaps the rain had woken him.

Unfortunately, the Wraiths did not care about the circumstances of a job, only results. She was at the Taegun residence to steal an enchanted ring for her thieves' guild.

That ring could alter the words spoken from the mouth into something more charming. It wouldn't be a surprise if that ring was the reason for the Taegun's success in gaining so much favor with Orym's royal family and nobles. Of course, the Taegun's possession of this ring was a secret, but someone, likely a jealous rival noble, must have found out.

A contract was sent to the Wraiths, and Nora was chosen for the job because of her past successes. Physically, she was everything a thief should be, meaning she was hard to notice, nimble, and fast. Standing at just five and a half feet, she was the average height of human women in both her current nation of Orym and her birth nation of Yorith.

Her hazel eyes were tri-colored with a golden-brown inner ring with a few star-like spikes out into a green field that blended into a final outer dark blue. They were unlike anyone other eyes she had seen, including the eyes of her family.

Though she wasn't sure how she ended up with them, she was glad to have them. While they did stand out, her hazel eyes also seemed to shift colors in different lights, which helped confuse any witnesses who might see her doing anything illicit. It was a valuable asset for a thief.

Her light brown skin helped her blend into the crowd in Orym. Most people in the country were not ghostly pale like those in Yorith, where she had stood out.

Not counting her very recognizable diamond-shaped face, her body probably stood out the most of all her features. Whereas many peasants were malnourished and thin, and nobles tended to be plumper than her due to their leisurely lifestyle, Nora was lithe with defined muscles typical of an acrobat.

When Nora moved, she was graceful and quiet. Some might mistake her steps for the wind, but her stealth was not her only ability. Like her father, she had a bit of magic in her. Mostly, she was an illusionist who could conjure images. Though that may not seem all that helpful, she'd found that her talent had many uses.

Her illusions were difficult to distinguish from reality. Therefore, if there were any problems with the jobs or marks, like in this case where Lord Taegun was awake, she had an extra line of defense - or offense - to procure the target.

If Nora returned empty-handed, she would be severely punished, so that was not an option. What was a possibility was to distract him if he came to know about her presence, but because her magic wasn't all that powerful, she had to wait for the perfect opportunity to unleash it.

Picking the right image was also a matter of concern. 'Should I terrify him into running away on his own? Or should I conjure a duplicate image of herself to confuse him as she ran? I'm getting ahead of myself.' Nora bowed her head and stared at Lord Taegun through her lashes while taking in the rest of her surroundings with her peripheral vision.

Nora finally peeled her eyes away from the shadow of the man reading a book. Unless he fell asleep there, he would probably be an obstacle on this job. It was best just to get started.

The front door was tempting. She almost wanted to test if it was unlocked, but the possibility of guards being on the other side was too high.

Any practical entrance to the house was likely too dangerous, which left impractical entrances. She could try the windows on the first floor. This would save her from climbing outside the home and possibly slipping since the rain wet the stones.

'No, stop trying to take the easy way out,' Nora thought. The last time she had done something like that was a little over a year ago, and she'd been seen.

Higher nobles like the Taeguns always had heavy security outside the bedroom doors and on the first floor, where criminals were most likely to enter. She would need to climb up to the third floor from outside.

'But which room do I choose? The most obvious choice is Lord Taegun's room. He must wear that ring himself, else why would he have it? Well... perhaps Lady Taegun has it,' she pondered.

This would also make sense. Women are not inferior to men in the kingdom of Orym. So, if Lady Taegun made most of the political moves, she would have it. This posed a dilemma. In Orym, married couples typically had their separate rooms. Lady Taegun would not sleep in the same room as Lord Taegun every night.

Nora's nerves began to rise. She was a good thief, but even she was not used to having such a wealthy mark. The Taeguns' could afford magical lamps for their gardens, carved columns for their home, and at least a dozen guards.

'Who knows what else they can afford? Traps? Alarms? Alarms would likely be attached to doors. And traps?' She wondered but realized she was being overly cautious. They probably wouldn't trap their own rooms, so traps wouldn't be an issue unless she needed to enter a vault or treasury.

'Well, I hope they wouldn't be so paranoid as to trap their own windows.' The thought that they might tickled the back of her mind, refusing to let her be. She was teetering on the edge of the cliff of anxiety.

Nora tugged the corner of her hood, assuring herself that it still hid her features, then took a few slow, even breaths to calm her nerves.

'What am I even thinking? The Taeguns may be nobles, but that only makes them lofty. They probably think no one would dare steal from them with all the guards they employ.'

Grabbing one hand in the other, Nora squeezed as she tried to remember what she had heard of the Taeguns. She needed to remember which of them was the most socially prominent. Like all jobs, she was briefed before starting this one.

'What was it Vicla had said?' She shut her eyes briefly to help her focus. Vicla's breathy, feminine voice resounded in her mind, 'Bertelis deals with financials and buying goods for the estate. He is usually quiet at social events, so you should only go there if you cannot find the ring in Myrtle's quarters.'

Right. Vicla has spelled it out for her. Lady Myrtle Taegun was the one schmoozing and charming the other nobles and royals. She needed to try the lady's room first, which was quite alright with Nora. After all, Lord Taegun was awake. A quiet sigh escaped Nora's lips at this bit of good luck, and her almond-shaped eyes popped open.

Creeping along the house's outer wall, she tilted her sharp chin upward toward the third floor. Her eyes vigilantly shifted to the glowing window of Lord Bertelis' room.

'The lady's room must be next to her husband's.'

It only made sense. Hoping she hadn't assumed wrongly, Nora took a running start and leaped from the soft, muddy ground next to the bush she'd been hiding near and outstretched her hands to the lip of the front porch's roof.

Tightly gripping it with her fingertips, she swung her body toward the wall, pushed off with her legs, propelled herself enough to pull upward with her arms, and then landed on top of the roof with a quiet thud.

Crouching in the shadows next to the wall, she approached the nearest second-story window and placed her palms on the glass pane. She could go in from here, but then she would need to skulk around in the house's shadows and hope to avoid the guards. While she could probably do so with minimal issues, there was no reason to risk it.

Like a hawk, she scanned the house for any way to climb higher. Above her was a small balcony connected to the room she'd seen the lord in.

Even if she was silent as the grave, there was still a chance he could look up from his reading and spot her through the window, so she decided to creep forward on the slippery oak tiles of the roof toward the corner of the house.